The Endurance of Love
by Warrior obsessed Twi-hard
Summary: Edward is a lonely, awkward boy whose only friend is a horse. He meets Bella at an Endurance Ride and they have an instant connection. Can she get him out of his shell and fall in love, or will his love stay one sided? Fluff, ExB mostly EPOV, very little angst
1. Prolouge: New Life

_**Hey People of FanFiction. This is the first story I have every let anyone see. I don't really like people to read what I write; I write for myself, not others, but if anyone has any constructive criticism that would be great. I have no editor so I apologize for grammar and/or spelling mistakes.**_

_**P.S. If you don't like it, don't read it. :)**_

_**I don't own Twilight or Edward or Carlisle or Esme...**_

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Prologue~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

"Dr. Cerlizle! Mrs. Ethme!" John's heavily accented voice sounds loud from downstairs. It's still dark; the sun hasn't even thought about rising. That can mean only one thing. Wildfire's dropping her foal! I jump out of bed, pulling on my jeans and boots. I tiptoe out of my room and peek over the banister. My parents and John are having a rather animated conversation. Mom glances up and, shaking her head, smiles at me. I smile back and race down the steps into her arms. "Wildfire?" I whisper.

"Wildfire," she whispers back, pulling a jacket over my night shirt. She takes my hand and we make the short walk to the barn. Inside the barn is warm and the dim light seems bright compared to the darkness outside. We stop outside the first stall and wait for Dad to give us the word. Finally, after an undeterminable amount of time, he calls me in.

I peer into the stall and what I see will be ingrained in my memory forever. Wildfire is a tall chestnut mare with a wide blaze running the length of her elegantly dished face. In her day she had been one of the best endurance horses in the entire world. She was Dad's baby until a few years ago, when he retired her as a broodmare. She is standing in the far corner, her head lowered toward the small bundle sprawled near her hind leg.

The foal has a light copper body and a large mop of jet black hair running down its neck and its tail is the same dark black. Closer inspection tells me that the little ball of legs is a girl. I have seen many foals before but she is very different. Wildfire, like all the other horses here at Sugar Mill, is a pure-bred Arabian. Dad wanted to try something new and breed his most prized mare to a magnificent bay Morgan.

The filly's legs are long, thin and straight; her back small with medium sized withers. Her nostrils are large and she has typical enormous foal ears. She pulls away from Wildfire's udder and we lock gazes. Her face has a slight dip and a drop of white is smeared on the tip of her muzzle. An oblong star peeks out from under her forelock, reaching to the start of the dish. Her eyes are the same liquid brown as her mother's and I can't help but whisper "Angel."

"What was that son?" Dad asks, breaking our connection.

"Angel, I want to call her Angel."

He smiles gently, nodding, "Ok son." He pats me on my shoulder and walks to the house, leaving me alone with Angel and Wildfire.

_**Not the best, I know. I'm not claiming to be an author of anything good, I just like to write.**_

_**Have a wonderful day people of FanFiction.**_


	2. Off to the Races

**_Hey people of FanFiction. Thank you to the few of you who reviewed, your kind words meant a lot. Well enough from me. Here's the first chapter. I hope you enjoy._**

**_I still don't own Edward or Carlisle or Esme, however I do own Angel _****J**

A robin chirps hesitantly, breaking the gentle silence of the dawn light. Angel's hooves clip softly against the clay, making the only other noise besides our slightly labored breathing. We didn't trek very far this morning, only about five miles on flat ground at a gentle canter.

I love this time of day, before the sun has fully risen and most people are still asleep. It's so peaceful and I'm alone with my horse and my thoughts. I sigh as we reach the trail head. The woods thin, revealing a beautiful valley filled with lush green grass and a dozen or so horses grazing and dozing in the yellow light of the sunrise.

The trail forks here. To the left sits a large white house, well it's more like a mansion, is nestled between several large trees. Three small green barns sit adjacent to the house. Large wooden posts have been arranged to construct several arenas. The whole place is the epitome of perfection.

If you look to the right you see a small decrepit farmhouse in desperate need of a paintjob. Twin corrals sit off to one side, both attached to a small barn also in need of paint. A white mare is in the larger of the two corrals, her ears alert to our presence. Athena's Light or 'Thena' is a 15.3 hand 13 year old light gray Morab mare. She came to live with us about five years ago and is rather hyperactive.

Julieta's Curse is in the corral with her, grazing without a care that we are near. Jule is an average looking 15 hand 14 year old bay Morab. She has no white on her other than her sclera, which she shows me quite often. She is a cold horse and a handful to ride, but she has a place in my heart.

My name is Edward Anthony Mason Cullen. I am an endurance rider. I know, I know. You're like, "how can you make any money riding horses?" I don't. I make a living working part time at the local vet's office, putting my doctorates to work.

But my true passion is horses, which is why I own and live on a small ranch, Autumn Trails. It's not much especially if you turn left at the trail's fork and look around that epitome of perfection also known as Sugar Mill. Also known as one of the most famous endurance Arabian breeding farms in North America. Also known as Carlisle and Esme Cullen's horse ranch. Also known as the place I grew up and called home until about six years ago.

I know, I know, it's not normal for a 23 year old bachelor to live next door to his parents. Well it's probably not normal to be 23 and never been kissed. Or to be 23 and to have never really had a human friend. So I guess I'm just incredibly abnormal.

Yeah you heard that right; I've never had a human friend. At least not one that I was close to. I mean I had associates that I talked to and sat with at lunch, but no one I would share secrets with. Instead I have Angel. Angel is the best friend anyone could ask for. She is a good listener but doesn't take BS from anyone, especially not me. Yeah, I know pathetic, but this is me and I don't plan on changing anytime soon.

I untack Angel and let her into the paddock with Thena and Jule then walk to the house to get some food. I open the door and jump, startled to see Mom standing there waiting to ambush me. "Hi mom."

"Hello son. Beautiful morning, Did you enjoy it during your ride?" She starts innocently.

"Yeah, it was beautiful. Angel was very frisky this morning."

"Mhhh, so are you ready for the ride this week?" She inquires, knowing full well that I am.

"Yeah, Jule's in top shape and it's not a very long ride, only 40 miles. It should be a breeze and only take a few hours." I'm truly not worried about the ride. It's short and on relatively tame trails.

"I'll leave with Jule on Saturday and probably get home late Saturday or early Sunday," I tell her. We have an unspoken agreement that she'll come over and feed Angel and Athena while I'm gone.

"Are you going to meet with any friends while you're there?" She asks quietly, "Anyone female?"

Esme always wanted a large home, filled with the laughter of seven children. But she had a hard time getting pregnant and she miscarried three times before me. It was a hard pregnancy and she had to have a surgery. The doctors told her that it would be next to impossible to conceive again. Yet when I was seven, she got pregnant with my sister. She carried her for four months but in the end she lost the baby.

She was so depressed for so long and for several years I thought she hated me, because I was the reason she couldn't have any more children. Hell, I hated myself. Until I got Angel. She was born in January and I spent every waking moment I was allowed in Wildfire's stall. On June 20th, my birthday, I walked into the barn and got a huge surprise. Angel was standing in the cross ties with a large red ribbon around her neck. Best Birthday ever.

Anyway, back on the former topic, Esme has always blamed herself for my social awkwardness, but I just don't get on well with people. Give me horses any day. But it doesn't stop Mom from trying.

Since she can't have more kids, she has always hoped for grandkids. This would require me to be with a woman, intimately. I hate the answer I'm going to give her because it crushes her, but I won't, can't, lie to her. "No mom. No girls. I might go out to eat with Emmett or Alice though." She nods sullenly and after kissing my cheek she heads home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Off to the Races~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_RING! RING! RING! _My alarm clock blares at 4am and once again I am awake before dawn. I'm rather forgetful in the morning so I set out my clothes last night and made myself a list. I generally wear pants made of a skin tight cotton-spandex material under my blue jeans and brown half chaps over. I layer a cotton t-shirt with a heavy waterproof jacket over a light raincoat. After sleepily throwing on clothing, I scramble to the barn.

The contrast between cold and warm causes me to break out in goose bumps and the dim lights seem incredibly bright. I give the girls some food, all having predictable reactions that are very different from each other. Thena pushes me out of her way, stumbling like a blind cat to get to her food, which she wolfs down. Jule snaps at the air and turns so her butt is pointing at me, completely ignoring her food. Angel gently nudges my arm and licks my cheek before chowing down.

My girls and the barn always wake me up and I move at a much more rapid pace back to the house. Feeling a little more alive, I open my fridge and pull out some eggs to fry.

An hour later I am freshly washed and just need to load Jule before I am ready to set off. I wrap Jule's legs and she loads in the trailer with much trepidation. Now, thanks to Jule's horrid manners, we are half an hour behind schedule. Jumping in the cab of my truck, I inhale deeply. It has lost all traces of new car smell and now smells like hay and leather. I love it. I put on a radio station the plays a little of everything: country, rock, classic, blues, pop, alternative. It plays it all and makes the 3 hour drive seem relatively short.

We arrive with less than two hours to go before the race, which is very unlike me. I scramble to unload my insane mare and rush to get signed in. An hour of paper work and one thorough vet check later, I am all set for the ride. Now I just have to kill an hour and hope Jule doesn't do anything stupid.

As I finish brushing Jule, a hulking shadow blocks out the sunlight. I don't have to turn around to know that Emmett McCarty is standing behind me. Emmett is like 6' 6" with massive muscles and a charming, boyish smile. He looks terrifying but is really a big softy.

Mom's second cousin's husband's sister is married to one of Emmett's aunts, so we see him at all our big family reunions. And he is probably the closest thing I have to friend. "Hey Emmett," I say.

"Dang it Eddie! How do you always know it's me? You never even have to look," I turn to see a large pout on his large face.

"Probably because only you and Godzilla can block out the sun like that, and since I don't hear any women or small men screaming, you are the safer bet to go with," a high pitched voice calls from the opposite direction.

I turn toward the voice to see Alice Brandon striding toward us, all 4' 11" of her. Alice is also one of Mom's many relatives, but we see a lot more of her than we do Emmett. "Now quit your jabbering and put your asses in your saddles."

One glance tells me that she's right and I carefully tack up Jule, double checking to make sure nothing rubs. Alice and Emmett ride over and I can't help but laugh. Alice's brown Rocky Mountain Horse gelding, Jack is maybe 14 hands and is dwarfed by Emmett and Scooby. Scooby is a dark bay Trakehner and is easily 17 hands, which is perfect for Emmett's massive bulk.

We take our positions at the starting line and wait for the gong. Most people ride in pairs or groups and some days I ride with Alice or Em, but I'm just not feeling the whole social thing today. The gong sounds and I nod at my crazy relatives before angling away from them. I start Jule at a brisk trot, but soon cluck her into a gentle canter, because let's face it. Even a horse with a non-jarring trot is uncomfortable after a while. And Jule is most definitely not a horse with a non-jarring trot.

We continue that pace until we are just behind the leaders and way ahead of the stragglers at the back. This is my element; just me and my horse and the woods. I can't imagine sharing this with anyone or anyone ever being able to understand how important this is to me.

This continues for about 10 miles until we come to the first vet check. We pass with flying colors and are cleared to continue several minutes later. This stretch of the ride has large slopes with less than gentle inclines and I let Jule pick her own pace.

The second vet check comes into view and other than Jule's slightly labored breathing, we are perfectly fine. As we prepare to depart for the second half of the ride, Emmett and Alice come into view. They both give me a smile before I ride out.

The third leg of the ride is just as uneventful as the first two. The fourth and final however is a different story. Jule has a large fear of water. Well it's not a fear; she just doesn't like getting her feet wet. She's such a diva.

The river is wide but very shallow, not even coming up to her pastern and moving at a slow trickle. But Little Miss I'm a Diva prances and snorts and even crow hops at one point. What a pansy. Good God, its just water.

We finally get out of the river and on the opposite bank all I can see is wide open, flat meadow. Little Miss Diva's ears prick forward and she starts biting on her bit. "Alright, alright; I guess a little run won't hurt." I click and flex my legs, nudging her with my heels.

Jule needs no more encouragement and takes off at a full out gallop. I don't know how she can possible want to run, she just hiked 40 miles uphill, but since it won't hurt her, I'm not going to argue.

Have you ever felt like you are flying? Or that you are completely free and nothing could possible hurt you? That's how I feel when I ride a galloping horse. So wholly unrestricted and unburdened. It's like my high. Some people do drugs, some go skydiving or bungee jumping, but not me. I just jump on a horse and let the run. Helen Thomson was one smart lady, let me tell you, because her words are the truth.

We do borrow freedom when we ride.

All too soon we reach the meadows edge and I bring Jule back down to a slow walk as we enter the trees. She asks for more head room and I let her have it. As soon as I relax the reins she lowers her head, her rapid panting slowing.

Jule may be a brat and a diva but she is one hell of an athlete and not three minutes later she is dancing sideways and throwing her head. "Knock it off Jule's, we're almost done." And we are. I get her to settle into a nice, rapid paced canter as we crest the last hill. Looking down I can see finish line and a crowd of people. What I don't see, however, are many other horses. An older man on a dancing young mare and his son and his calm horse are just finishing and I cross the line just behind them.

The little boy gives me a large toothy grin and I can't help but smile in return. He's so adorable with his dirty blonde curls and large hazel eyes.

We finished ahead of the main group and only about seven people have finished at this point. I didn't place or finish inside of a record time so there's no need for me to stay. As soon as Jule is cool we can be off.

I take all of her tack off, starting with her bridle. I use trail-halter bridles for all my riding because they are comfortable for the horse and don't require me to pack a halter; all I have to do is unclip the bit. Jule's is a hot pink with violet overlay that I think look quite nice against her brown coat. I take off the bit and start on the saddlebags. I carry at least a three sectioned cantle bag and a pommel bottle holder an ever ride. I unclip those and toss them in the truck with my helmet before starting on the rest. I unhook the black sheepskin padded, hot pink and violet breast collar and her hot pink crupper. Her saddle, a black Freeform Classic DKR Cutback Treeless Saddle, and her black Skito pad come off next.

Untacking is a methodical routine for me and I'm done in about three minutes. I lead Jule to the faucet and spray her with the hose, scraping off the excess water when I'm done. She stands completely still and I can't help but chuckle, "Sure, _now _you like water. Come on diva." I walk Jule around the parked trailers, allowing her muscles to relax and her temperature to drop.

When I am satisfied that she is completely cool, we meander back to our trailer. A small pixie is walking her brown pony around, waiting for us to fall into her trap. "Hi Edward. How'd you do? Good? That's good. How'd Jule act? Psychotic? You're coming to dinner. Is Jule cool?"

All in one inhale. I have never understood her ability to not breathe; it can't be natural. Let's see if I can answer all that. "Good, yeah, yup, divaish, definitely, ye – wait a second. No Alice, I need to get home ASAP. I can't do dinner tonight." At her childish pout I add, "I can't Alice, I can't. I'm sorry."

"One of these days, you'll say yes. I can feel it," she states, 100% serious.

"Eddie, now ya got her feeling things! What'd I tell ya 'bout makin' her feel things?" Emmett laughs boomingly, hysterical at his own horribly fake southern drawl.

"Sorry Emmy Bear, I just can't help it," I have to laugh at the face he makes in response to his nickname. He sticks his tongue out at me as I grab Jule's blanket and leg wraps. Still chuckling, I organize Jule for the journey home. I load her without too much fuss and close the door.

After a death squeeze from pixie and a bear hug from Godzilla's twin and a promise to get food next ride, I start the truck and begin the relatively short, but seemingly long trip home.

The truck pulls into the drive 10 and I am bushed. With half functioning limbs I rouse Jule and lead her into the barn. Thena and Angel are waiting with their heads over their stall doors. I peel off Jule's travel gear and let her loose in her stall, where she promptly stalks to the rear corner, pointing her butt towards me.

"Women," I sigh softly, before looking at the dry erase board hanging on my office door.

_Everything is good here. Hope you had a fun ride. Dinner in the kitchen, breakfast at home tomorrow _

_Sleep tight, love ya_

_~ love Mom_

Got to love moms, all of them. I give The and Angel kisses and mints before going inside. As promised, a plate of spaghetti is sitting in the microwave. I heat it up and gulp it down before going to my bedroom. I take off my boots and strip down to my boxers before falling onto the bed and asleep instantly. 

**Welllll…. What'ch'a think? Leave a comment or don't? But if you do, please be nice :)**

**Yes I am aware that not everything mentioned here is 100% true, I don't ride endurance competitively, so I might not have any clue what I'm talking about on some subjects, but this is fiction, so please just go with it. **


	3. A New Persepctive

**_Hello everybody, sorry it took so long for this but I was away competing with my FFA Chapter. Thanks sooooo much to everyone who review, you really brightened my day. Some of you were a little confuddled by the horse terminology, so I tried to tone it down and I'm adding a list of definitions of words you might not know. Enjoy!_**

Bella POV

A loud banging jolts me out of my restless sleep. A glance up shows me that I'm not in my bed or even in my room. Where am I? I hear the bang again as I try to get my eyes to focus. _Windi_. Sighing I realize that I'm in the black office chair I stuck in the last stall of my barn when I converted it to an office. The bang sounds again and I pull myself out of the chair, knowing that the creature responsible for the raucous won't stop until I get up.

My dark cedar barn is warm and cozy this early and the wood reflects a reddish tint. A light colored head is peeking over the stall door, waiting – impatiently – for me to feed him. "Who needs an alarm clock with you around, huh Windi?" He bobs his head at me and a light brown head appears over the door. "Morning Kenya," I say as she pricks her ears at me. I scratch her tan neck and rub her black ears briefly before walking to the feed room and measuring the grain.

My name is Isabella Marie Swan. I am an endurance rider. I know, I know. You're like, "how can you make any money riding horses?" I don't. I make a living training other people's horses. Oh and I occasionally breed and sell foals.

I am passionate about anything horse related, which is why I own and live on a small ranch, Breaking Dawn's Morabs. It's a small ranch, run just by me and my best friend since birth, Jacob Black. We keep only 4 horses in my barn, the barn closest to my house, but it could hold 7. These are the horses Jake and I own and compete with. His barn, on the other side of the property, can hold up to 9 horses and usually has 6 or 7 boarders that he trains.

My barn consists of Wind Chime Rhyme, a palomino Morab mare. Rhy, as we call her, stands at about 16 hands and is mainly a breeding mare. She is a calm, quiet mount, but she doesn't have the stamina or the passion the others do. Therefore, she doesn't compete as much as say, Windi.

Oh Windi. Windigo Indigo is a cremello Morab gelding and certifiably crazy. Windi is literally insane, but he's my baby. Jake jokes that we are perfect for each other because we are both 'Shrimps' in his eyes. Compared to Jake's hulking 6'5" frame, I guess my small size of 5'4" and Windi's 14 hands _is _rather tiny.

Jake's horses name is Amazonian Falcon. Falcon is a dark bay Morab mare; she is about 16.3 hands and about 18 years old. She is an ornery horse who makes a rider work hard and she always looks grumpy.

Last but certainly not least, is Flecks of Gold, or Kenya. She came into Jakes barn after her owner, who went to Iran, gave her to her elderly grandfather. The man moved to a retirement home shortly after and asked us to find her a good home. Because of Falcon's age Jake has been looking for a new horse and he bought her. But Kenya isn't really big enough for Jake, nor did they have chemistry as more than teacher and student. After finding out that she has amazing stamina, Jake gave her to me. And now I am the proud owner of a beautiful 9 year old dun mare.

After distributing the morning rations to my crazy critters, I cook some eggs and bacon, which Jake comes and devours. Then I tack up Kenya and we set off. I want to ride and clear my head before we leave for the lengthy 3 day ride in a few weeks. I keep Kenya at a slow pace, alternating between walking and trotting, but not really focusing on the ride.

Less than an hour into our stroll, Jake comes racing up, the sorrel gelding he's riding galloping madly. He dips his head at me as they run by. I can't help but grin, he's such a dork. I hope that someday I'll find someone as amazing as him to love as more than just a friend. Sigh.

If only I knew what was to come…

_**So yeah, that was… short… not really**__**a chapter**_.

Gelding: castrated male horse

Mare: female horse

Stallion: intact male horse

Filly: young female horse

Colt: young male horse

Foal: baby horse

Leg Wraps: bandages to protect the legs when jumping, trailering, etc.

Paddock, Corral: area where horses can be worked or left free to run/graze

Stall: part of a barn where a horse is kept

Trot: a two beat gait, usually jarring, called a jog in western

Canter: a three beat gait, rather fast, called a lope in western

Dropping her foal: giving birth

Palomino: a coat color, golden body, white/cream mane and tail

Bay: coat color, brown body, black mane and tail

Chestnut/Sorrel: coat color, body is solid red/brown with matching mane and tail

Cremello: coat color, cream colored body, same mane and tail, can have blue eyes

Dun: a coat color, brown body, black mane and tail, black stripe on back, stripes on legs,

Dark bay: a coat color, dark brown body with black mane and tail

Sclera: the white of the eye


	4. First Meeting

_**Here's one more. Hope you enjoy.**_

_**I don't own Twilight, but Windi is all mine!**_

EPOV

"Bingo!" I shout. Mom smiles and Dad complains that I'm a cheater. Gotta love Family Game Night. We try to do something like this every month. Mom makes dessert while Dad and I grill meat. We eat and talk then out come the games. Dad is really bad and I can't help but enjoy the banter between us.

Plus, it's a great way to take my mind off the upcoming race. It's a three day ride, which is always fun, except for the camping. Don't me wrong, I like sleeping under the stars on the hard, cold ground as much as the next guy. I just dislike sleeping so close to so many other humans. We're not even that close together, but if I can hear you breathing from my campsite, you are too close to me. Just sayin'.

I kiss mom's cheek and shake dad's hand before leaving for the night. I pack all my gear and give the girls some love before going in the house and hitting the hay.

It's an 8 hour drive to Missoula, Montana, but I'm going to take the back way to avoid big cities and traffic. So it will be a 10 hour drive with stops at least every three hours so Thena doesn't get too stiff. I figure if we leave around 7am we'll arrive at 5pm and I'll have time to set up before dark.

Thena is an angel, allowing me to wrap her legs without batting an eye and loading in the trailer with no hesitation or balking. One last gear check and we are off.

We arrive in Missoula and I unload Thena, allowing her to look around. The race isn't until Saturday but I like to give my girls at least a day to recover from travel and adjust to new surroundings. Most people think that it doesn't matter, but a few agree that it helps to give the horses time to adjust and work out travel kinks and trailer jitters.

Several large barns with small, grassy runs attached to each stall have been opened for the competitors and when I sign in I am directed to # 12. I want to make sure Thena hasn't cramped during the trip so I walk her around the premises. Her ears are pricked alertly, but she's not spooky. Several round-pens have been assembled and I walk to an empty one and unclip her lead rope.

She immediately starts rolling. I sigh and hear a small, beautiful laugh coming from my left. I turn and am met with the sight of an angel. Not a copper angel with black hair and four legs. No this angel is very human and very female.

She is rather pale with long mahogany chestnut hair that even pulled into a loose ponytail falls past her shoulders. She has a beautiful figure with curves in all the right places and lean muscle on her arms and legs. Her dark eyes are staring right at me, watching me watch her. Her lips are pulled into a small smile, she's smirking at me. She has something in her hand and my brain registers that it's a lead rope and it's attached to a blood red halter that she has swung over her shoulder.

She advances toward me and offers her hand, "I'm Isabella Swan, but most people call me Bella." Her voice, much like her laugh, is soft and beautiful. I take her warm hand in mine, "Edward Cullen, it's a pleasure to meet you Bella."

Abruptly she blushes and it is so pretty that I want to touch it, her. "Sorry for laughing, but I understand your frustration and it's nice to know I'm not the only one who's crazy horse's first response is to roll." Her fading blush comes back with a vengeance, "I um I didn't mean that um your horse is um crazy, just that she um…" her stuttering is adorable, but I don't want her to think she offended me.

"Bella!" she cuts off looking up at me, "You didn't offend me, if you heard some of the things I call her, crazy would seem like a compliment. Which horse is yours?" She smiles at me, and I am blown away by her gorgeousness. I want her to smile like that all the time. I want to be the reason she smiles like that. She raises her delicate hand and points to the round-pen near the one I put The in. The horse is a very excitable cremello gelding. He is sniffing every inch of his area and spooking at every little noise.

Bella smiles softly before calling "Windi _what_ are you doing!?" The gelding stops his inspection and calmly strolls over to the gate. Bella laughs at this and I can't help but do the same. "What's her name?" her random question takes me by surprise and I honestly have no idea what she's talking about. She looks over at Thena then back at me, "What's her name?"

Now it's my turn to blush, "Athena's Light, but we call her lots of things. Thena, The, Thea, Hen, Crazy horse, the list goes on and on." She laughs and elbows me softly in the ribs. "What about him?"

"Windi?" I nod and she continues, "Windigo Indigo. The Windigo is a cannibalistic demon who takes over people's bodies and uses them to eat human flesh. I thought it was fitting because he chews on everything he can get his mouth around. And Indigo because I like things that rhyme." She smiles angelically and forces a laugh, "You can run away screaming now, most people do. I'm actually surprised you stayed this long."

Flabbergasted, I grab her arm and pull her retreating form back to me. Except I pull a little too hard and she crashes into my chest. I wrap my arms around her to stop her fall and can't help but notice two things. One, she is very small, like 5' 4". Second, she fits in my embrace perfectly. I lean down and whisper in her ear, "Bella, my dear, mistaken Bella. I am quite fascinated by you and if you will allow it, I think you will be seeing a lot more of me." She shivers at my words, and pulls away. She stares at me for a long second and then nods, smiling.

"I would like that very much Edward, very, very much."

_**So yeah, now you have a budding romance**_.


End file.
